Zibeline — Complete eBook

A quick movement of curiosity ran through the assembly,
and a circle was formed around the two opponents in
this exciting match.

Every one knows that bezique is played with four packs
of cards, and that the number of points may be continued
indefinitely. The essential thing is to win at
least one thousand points at the end of each hand;
unless a player does this he is said to “pass
the Rubicon,” becoming twice a loser—­that
is, the victor adds to his own score the points lost
by his adversary. Good play, therefore, consists
largely in avoiding the “Rubicon” and
in remaining master of the game to the last trick,
in order to force one’s adversary over the “Rubicon,”
if he stands in danger of it. The first two hands
were lost by Landry, who, having each time approached
the “Rubicon,” succeeded in avoiding it
only by the greatest skill and prudence. Immediately
his opponent, still believing that good luck must
return to him, began to neglect the smaller points
in order to make telling strokes, but he became stranded
at the very port of success, as it were; so that,
deducting the amount of his first winning, he found
at the end of the fifth hand that he had lost six thousand
points. Notwithstanding his wonderful self-control,
it was not without difficulty that the young officer
preserved a calm demeanor under the severe blows dealt
him by Fortune. Paul Landry, always master of
himself, lowered his eyes that their expression of
greedy and merciless joy should not be seen.
The nearer the game drew to its conclusion, the closer
pressed the circle of spectators, and in the midst
of a profound silence the last hand began. Favored
from the beginning with the luckiest cards, followed
by the most fortunate returns, Paul Landry scored successively
“forty, bezique,” five hundred and fifteen
hundred. He lacked two cards to make the highest
point possible, but Henri, by their absence from his
own hand, could measure the peril that menaced him.
So, surveying the number of cards that remained in
stock, he guarded carefully three aces of trumps which
might help him to avert disaster. But, playing
the only ace that would allow him to score again,
Paul Landry announced coldly, laying on the table
four queens of spades and four knaves of diamonds:

“Four thousand five hundred!” This was
the final stroke. The last hand had wiped out,
by eight thousand points, the possessions of Landry’s
adversary. The former losses of the unfortunate
Marquis were now augmented by one hundred and forty
thousand francs. Henri became very pale, but,
summoning all his pride to meet the glances of the
curious, he arose, rang a bell, and called for a pen
and a sheet of stamped paper. Then, turning to
Paul Landry, he said, calmly “Monsieur, I owe
you four hundred thousand francs. Debts of honor
are payable within twenty-four hours, but in order
to realize this sum, I shall require more time.
How long a delay will you grant me?”